1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to sweep elements and, more particularly, to sweep apparatus which may be easily and quickly removed from a tine and secured to the tine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Sweep elements are used in contemporary "nor till farming" for cutting vegetation and lifting up ground for planting and fertilizing. The ground is thus minimally disturbed, which results in less erosion than plowing and discing.
Sweep elements of the prior art are typically welded or bolted to tines which are in turn secured to a tractor, or other machine. A fine typically is spring loaded to some machine, and the sweep is typically fastened to the bottom of the tine by bolts. The bolts get beat up, destroyed, etc., during the work performed by the sweep. The bolts go directly through the sweep and tine and, when they are distorted, beat up, etc., are very difficult to remove. Accordingly, in many cases sweeps must be cut off from a tine with a torch.
The sweep apparatus of the present invention overcomes the problems of the prior art by using a pair of flex pins to secure a sweep to an adapter shoe which is in turn secured to a tine by a pair of bolts, or, in an alternate embodiment, a sweep is secured directly to a differently designed tine.